Marvel Zombies Vampire Wars
by Ravenswald
Summary: This story arc was inspired by the Marvel Zombies series. The idea was inspired by the recent Vampire State arc from Captain Britain and MI13. I simply placed the MArvel Vampires from that series into the Zombie Universe.


Re: Marvel Zombie/Vampire War Saga

This is inspired and structures around the Marvel Zombies series of graphic novels 2006 to 2009 as well as the Captain Britain & MI13 - Vampire State series.  
This is a compilation of all my stories on the what if Dracula and his vampires took on the Marvel Zombies that were posted on the Marvel Fanfic site. For those who are interested in the chronology to the Marvel Zombie books:

The Prelude covers the first two books of Marvel Zombies vs the Army of Darkness

Chapter 1 covers the rest of the Army of Darkness series.

Chapter 2 covers the Ultimate FF crossovers with the Zombie Univers and Marvel Zombies books

Chapters 3 and 4 are in between Marvel Zombies and Marvel Zombies 3

There are two more chapters to come.

Enjoy

Avengers Infected - How Marvel Zombies began.

They said it all started with a flash in the sky and a ripple in the clouds. Nobody knows exactly what caused this exactly but some people think it might have been a punch.

He fell like a meteorite, crashing into midtown. The explosion wrecked cars, shattered windows and killed or injured many. The dead were the lucky ones it turned out. They never saw what killed them, barely had time to register it. Not like later.

It was chaos in the streets but the city responded well, too well. The police came, the fire fighters and the ambulances. Then THEY came. The Super Heroes . Humanity s saviours? No, Humanity s real Doom.

The Avengers were the first to arrive on the scene. Faces grave, concerned for all those human casualties. Colonel America, America s one time President, moved forward, reassuring everyone that everything would be fine now that the Avengers had arrived. Following their leader was Hawkeye the bowman, and the svelte Black Widow in her skin tight outfit that left little to the imagination. With her was Nicholas Cage in his Gold chest baring shirt, dressed as if he was going dancing not to fight for his very soul. Finally there was the golden haired Ms. Marvel dressed in her lightning insignia black one piece swim suit, red scarf casually wrapped around her hips, with black bicep length gloves and thigh hugging boots completing the image. However of all the heroes who entered that crash site only she had a hope of matching what was waiting for the Avengers in the smoking crater.

I guess they recognised the costume of the man lying face down in the crater and that caused them to let their guard down. I was told he wore the blue cap and golden body suit of The Sentry, another Super Hero. But it wasn t or at least not one the Avengers knew. They also didn t that this being from another universe or dimension was infected by a plague that even the Angels themselves fled from those who carried it. The Avengers could not conceive that this supposed friend had been lying there, waiting for them to arrive specifically. You see I determined that the carrier actually targeted the superheroes of this dimension and probably a thousand realities before us. This was how it spread its Gospel .

The Avengers suspected nothing. Colonel America, Hawkeye and Ms. Marvel came to the lip of the crater and saw the seemingly injured Sentry. Without thinking that idiot Colonel America reached out to assist. They all froze as the Sentry rose and turned around revealing his dead white eyes, his rotting flesh and his lipless gapping mouth. Before they could react the Sentry pulled the Colonel close and sank his teeth into the First Avenger s shoulder. As Ms. Marvel and Hawkeye moved to assist the Sentry released the Colonel and swung his left fist, smashing it into Ms. Marvel s face knocking her back into a building. He then grabbed Hawkeye s right hand crushing it leaving the Archer screaming in pain on his knees.

The Black Widow and Luke Cage shook off their shock and leapt forward. The Black Widow unleashed her "widow sting" energy blasts at the creature. The Sentry showed no affect and lunged forward grasping the startled Russian s head. He yanked the Black Widow forward planting a kiss while biting her mouth. Natasha s muffled scream of pain was abruptly cut off as the Sentry then twisted her neck around 180 degrees before letting the dead woman s body fall, face forward, on her back. Luke Cage roared in despair and rage and leapt forward, his fist sparkling with raw energy. His leap was halted as the Sentry lashed out and grabbed Power man s chest. Cage s cry of rage turned to a scream of pain as the Sentry literally ripped Cage s chest flesh away. Power Man fell to the ground beside his fellow Avengers staring in shock at his ruined chest.

Ms. Marvel arrived at this point flying above the crater. She stared in shock at what had happened in the last 60 seconds. Colonel America, Hawkeye and Power Man were all on their knees moaning in pain from their various bloody wounds. But it was the sight of Black Widow, her face down in the ruined pavement while her body was lying on its back that drew a sob of horror, deep sadness and mounting rage. She had failed her team mates. She was the most powerful amongst them and she had been knocked away with one punch like a rookie. Controlling her anger she focussed and launched a volley of concussive energy bolts at the Sentry. The monster, Carol could no longer think of the Sentry as a human being anymore, stood and took the blasts without affect. Feeling her energy level dropping she stopped the attack. She made a quick analysis of the Sentry. He showed no affects of her attack. His costume was tattered and there was a large hole baring his chest but that had been there when the Avengers had first arrived. It was his flesh, especially his face that showed that he was not normal. His eyes were milk white like a dead fish s. His lips were chewed away exposing his bloody teeth (The blood of her team mates). It was as though he was already dead. Dead? Deadite? That funny, crazy man who had attacked their gate intercom had been raving about Deadite s and the world dying and something about the dead rising. Was this a Deadite?

Come on, you $##! Ms. Marvel yelled. She knew that the Sentry could fire cosmic energy bolts. She reasoned that the only way to defeat this murderer was to absorb his own power and activate her own dormant Binary powers. You want me? Come on, come and get me! Strangely, her lip, which she suddenly realised was cut and bleeding, was beginning to burn. She also started to feel both sick and light headed. She'd never felt anything like it before. But she had little time to contemplate what it meant as below her fellow Avengers began to moan and wretch as if they were ill. She couldn t delay any longer. Concentrating her power she gathered herself to fly down and smash the Deadite Sentry back into his crater. However the Sentry pre-empted her and shot up meet Ms. Marvel. Damn, Carol cursed, she had forgotten he could fly, as she tried to dodge. He was too quick and caught the Blond Avenger by the throat. As he throttled the struggling Avenger the Sentry pulled her close, and like Natasha before her, kissed the choking Ms. Marvel. She gagged as he relaxed his grip allowing her to swallow. Ms. Marvel shuddered and lost consciousness.

It was this sight that presented itself to Spiderman as he arrived, a webbed man over his shoulder. As the Avengers struggle to recover the Sentry dropped the comatose Ms. Marvel and flew up into the clouds where he had come. Since the Avengers had first arrived only two minutes had passed. The crowd broke the police lines and moved in on their fallen heroes.

Colonel America was first. AAARGH! He screamed as the change occurred. Feels like blood ..burrrrning ..boillllling . He then fell forward a stream of green slim pouring from his mouth. Then he rose, an almost demonic smile on his face.

Behind him even more startling to those watching was Black Widow. She suddenly sat up, grasped her head, and with a sickening crunching of bone twisted her head back around to face forward. Lips bloody and eyes white she seemed strangely calm. There. Much better. Does anyone know what s going on? Both Hawkeye and Power Man seemed to fall under the control of contagion much more easily. Cage simply jumped up, ignoring the massive gash in his chest and let onto the nearest onlooker, tearing into his throat. Hawkeye seemed to take his cue from this and unslung his bow and notched an arrow. I dunno but I m Freakin Hungry! He replied to Natasha s question as he aimed his bow at a leather jacketed bystander. I need food. And by food I mean one thing . in quick succession he fired tow arrows pinning the startled man against the wall. Hawkeye then leapt FLESH!! he cried as he sunk his teeth into the screaming man s head.

Pandemonium erupted as the Black Widow and Colonel America joined in. Above Spiderman watched in shock as the Avengers started to literally tear into the crowd. Spiderman swooped down and picked up a busty blond girl who was being surrounded by Power man, Hawkeye and Colonel America before carrying her away to relative safety. He did not notice that the Colonel had taken offence at being denied the busty delicacy and followed in pursuit.

Back at the crater Ms. Marvel recovered consciousness. She struggled to rise then pitched forward as she started to feel cramps in her stomach. He special metabolism was fighting the infection but confused, not know what was happening to her she, like her fellow Avengers couldn t put up a fight against something they did not understand. And the contagion was not going to give her time to do that. Wha ..what sss happening to meeeee? she gasped, spitting blood. Feeeel wrrrrong. Feeel sooooo .soo HUNGRY! She looked up and saw her team mates feeding. It all seemed clear to her. She needed to feed. She did not see civilians she had sworn, both as a US Air Force Officer and as an Avenger to serve and protect. She saw only food. And she was so very very hungry.

It was at that point that the Wasp, Janet Pym, arrived. She flew down in Wasp form and could not comprehend what she was seeing. Her friends and colleagues seemed to be attacking civilians. She saw Ms. Marvel struggle unsteadily to her feet and landed beside her, shifting back to her normal height. Carol, Carol. What s happening. Why are the others attacking those civilians. Jan stared wide around at the carnage being wrought. My God Hawke s eating that man s brains! Jan, Jan. Its all very simple. Ms. Marvel almost purred as she got close to the Wasp. We re all so very .HUNGRY! And with that she plunged her teeth into the startled Wasp s shoulder. HHH! CAROL STOP OHH! The Wasp screamed as her friend bit a chunk of flesh from her shoulder. Mmm Nice. Ms. Marvel moaned in ecstasy and she swallowed Wasp s flesh. Don t worry Jan I won t eat you. I want you to join us. Come on when your feeling .different. she cackled as she flew up and swooped on a fleeing man, grabbing him and bitting down on his neck.

The Wasp collapsed on the ground clutching her wound. What the hell is going on? she cried out. Why . Oh wha ..what s happening to me? Feel sick! she threw herself forward and through up spewing green puss and blood. Wasp had no mutant resistance or particularly strong will and the contagion quickly took hold of her brain. Jan looked up, the truth suddenly so obvious, Feel Hungry! She quickly shifted into her Wasp mode and went to join her companions feast.

The Beginning.

Marvel Zombies/Vampire Wars The Prelude

My name is Dracula, and my history is a tapestry of terror that spans five centuries. Some have called me the Devil, Hell Incarnate, or the man in black called Death. Others call me a soulless murderer and a Demon who grieves not for his victim. I do not argue this. I am all that and worse. Much worse. But I am also the protector of my people. I gave my life to defend my land against the advance of Islam. In my unlife I have fought to defend my new people. Can a ruler, a leader of his people do anything else? And now this world may need my kind and I to save them.

A new Hell has been brought to humanity by the very self-styled Heroes who had promised to shield humanity from harm. A plague sweeps the Earth. A plague that even the very Gods do fear and flee from. Some would advise that we should also avoid this plague. To abandon the earth that we were born to rule.

But I am Dracula, and to be Dracula is to be as no other creature born of God or Satan. It is not for nothing that I am the Dark Lord of the Undead. And no zombie plague will change that. Even it has changed everything else.

It was fortunate that I had chosen to establish my new base on the dark side of the Moon. Not only did it give my army and I the freedom of action as I planned the conquest of Great Britain but, when the plague first came to Earth, we were immune to its touch. My own agents high within the security organisations of the world (such as MI13 in Britain, S.H.I.E.L.D. in North America and the Russian Security Service) gave me full knowledge of what was happening below.

It had begun with a hole being torn in the fabric of our dimension through which a diseased being fell to Earth in the city of New York on the island of Manhattan.

My agent, Victoria Hand, on board the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier was the one who had contacted me to make me aware of what was happening. My base was replete with a combination of the latest technologies as well as sorcery to aid in my preparations and were to prove valuable to meet what was to come.

On the view screen Ms Hand was visibly shaken. I was unimpressed with my agents demeanour and that she had breached the protocol I had set.

"My Lord, I have news of great importance." She pleaded. "An hour ago an entity identified as the Super Hero Sentry from what is believed to be a parallel universe arrived in New York. The Avengers, led by Colonel America, were the first to arrive on the scene. They were defeated and seemed to have bee infected by some disease that has turned them into flesh eating, intelligent zombies. They have been attacking and infecting other Superheroes and Super Villains. They are consuming all other humans. The police is helpless and some of the infected Super Zombies have already moved out into the rest of New York City."

I considered this information, my mind already trying to fathom who would gain the most from such a situation.

"What are the Americans doing to contain the contagion?"

"My Lord, Director Fury has already summoned all non-infected Super humans to the Helicarrier to remove even more from being infected. He is also in contact with the Pentagon and the U.S. President conferring. However the situations is already getting out of hand. Only minutes ago we learned that Colonel America had returned to Avengers mansion and had summoned the entire Avenger's Roster, reserves included. S.H.I.E.L.D. was unable to cancel the summons. We estimate another forty Super beings have now been infected."

"Keep me informed. Dracula out"

I examine the world news for more information. I watched as a television camera filmed the Avengers killing and eating men and women in Times Square. What I found incredible was the lack of true appreciation of how dire the situation was. There was no effort to quarantine the island or better still the city of New York. Over the next two hours the situation only became worse for the Humans. I made a decision.

"Get me Doom."

Minutes later, Dr Doom's armoured visage appeared on the screen. Dracula, I am busy, to what do I owe this displeasure."

"Your Majesty." I controlled my anger at Doom's continued refusal to acknowledge my title. "I want to know if you are aware of what is occurring on the American continent."

Dr Doom considered before answering. "Yes, Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D. has already sought my aid in this matter. Are you saying you are its cause?"

I laughed. "No. I was wondering whether this may have been your doing. You know my interest is in Britain. I take then you are as unaware of its origin as is the Americans?"

"Only that it was a being possibly from another dimension. At this time I know no more." Doom said, obviously annoyed that he had to admit there was something He did not know."

"My Lord," My thrall interrupted me. "The American Super Humans are leaving the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier." Doom heard this.

"Fury has obviously decided to sacrifice them to try and hold back the infected while the American Government decides on what to do." he said.

"If they had the will they should have used their most powerful weapons already." I replied.

"In that, if nothing else, we are in agreement." Doom acknowledged. "Wait something is happening on the Helicarrier." Doom turned away.

I stared at the screen. "Get me Ms Hand NOW!"

As I waited, Doom came back on the Comlink. "Dracula, The Helicarrier is about to be overrun by the infected."

"How? Is one of the flying Super Zombies attacking?" I turned to my servant. "Where is Hand?"

"I..I am trying to contact her, My Lord."

"Dracula?" Doom growled, annoyed at being ignored.

"Yes, Doom."

"My old foe Reed Richards has infected the rest of his team. On purpose. His wife, his brother-in-law, and his best friend."

"Why?"

"He seems to believe he was elevating himself into a higher, more efficient life form." Doom sneered in contempt. They have already slaughtered a number of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents And..."Doom looked away then turned back to the comlink. "They have just infected Tony Stark. I doubt the rest will be any more fortunate."

"You have access to the Helicarrier's security cameras. I am impressed Doom. How many Heroes are on the Helicarrier?"

Doom again looked away again. "Besides Fury, I have identified Thor, Dr Strange, and the X-Men Colossus, Nightcrawler and Storm. All have just returned from New York. That effort, by the way failed. All it achieved was to add more super zombies."

"Fury was a fool to even try. However you said Strange and Thor are on the Helicarrier now? Two foes that have caused me inconvenience in the past will soon be turned into flesh-eating zombies. How amusing."

"I find your amusement foolish, Dracula. Can you imagine the damage Thor could do as a zombie." Doom said curtly. "The human race is possibly witnessing its extinction."

"Hah and what is that to me Doom? At our last meeting you called me what? A mystical viral artefact?" I laughed at his image on the screen. "What are zombies to the Lord of Vampires?"

"We have nothing more to say to each other. I will protect what is mine and defy these monsters. In a short time I will leave this place and you and your people can deal with them, if you can." Doom's image disappeared as he smashed his fist into the screen.

I could not help but chuckle at his out burst. "You should have joined my alliance when you had the chance. Still he maybe correct."

"My Lord, Ms Hand is on the comlink. And summon the Grand Master of the Darkholders"

"Ms Hand, I understand the Fantastic Four have become infected?"

"Yes, My Lord. And the Super Heroes who were sent down to New York have been overwhelmed. Thor has only just returned to report the defeat."

"Yes I know. Are the Americans going to wipe out the city to stop the infection?"

"Its..its too late, My Lord. The mutant Quicksilver was infected in the last hour. He left the city and RAN across the Atlantic. We have identified that he reached London and infected Captain Britain. Then he crossed Europe and entered Moscow and infected the Red Guardian. Then he travelled onto Tokyo and infected Sunfire and the Silver Samurai. He was last seen heading for the Savage Land. The infection has now covered the world."

"Leave now, Ms Hand. There is nothing more you can do there. I will send the Serpent s Crown to pick you up in the lower atmosphere. Avoid everyone on that Helicarrier. It is doomed."

"As you command, My Lord." Ms Hand terminated the link.

I turned to Karla one of my hand maidens. "Inform Captain Fate to prepare his ship. I must see this for myself. I must also make certain of our livestock."

"Yes Master." she bowed and left. I turned to one of the thralls operating the communication console. "Send a warning to all our farms and operatives. They are to go into locked down and activate all defences until they here from me. Warn the other clan leaders. They are to remain hidden and avoid all interaction with these zombies until I contact them on pain of my extreme displeasure."

"As you command,, Master."

The Grand Master of the Darkhold, resplendent in his dark green robes with its gold hand with the eye in the palm entered and bowed.

"Summon the Darkhold Inner Circle. I need to be in New York. I commanded without turning. Now."

"As you wish, my Master," The Grand Master bowed deeply and left.

Watching the various satellite visions for a few minutes more, seeing the contagion spreading faster and faster. In quick succession the World Leaders and Governments of the United States, Great Britain, France, Russia, and China were all consumed or, in the case of the US President killed when Thor and Ms Marvel destroyed Airforce One as it tried to fly from Dulles Airport. The Military centres were next. North Korea was the only country that actually launched a nuclear strike, vaporising Tokyo but the North Koreans missed the Japanese Super Zombies who soon wrought revenge on the North Koreans. India, Pakistan and Israel and then the other ex-Soviet nuclear powers were next to feel the bite of the super zombies. The Humans ability to fight back was hampered by the fact that the threat was from within, not from outside their own countries and that the threat was super beings that could tear through any armour, withstand the impact of most weapons and could spread a disease that added that countries own soldiers to its ranks.

My viewing was interrupted by Captain Fate on the comlink. "My Lord, my ship is at your disposal."

"Captain, make all speed to Earth and retrieve my agent, Ms Victoria Hand, who is at this moment in low orbit above the city of New York. Check for life signs before taking on the craft. If you detect none destroy the craft. Take my agent into quarantine and await my next instructions."

"As you command, My Lord," Fate image disappeared from the comlink.

"Keep monitoring all channels. I will review all on my return," I instructed my thralls before leaving the room. As I stalked down the corridors I passed my court vampires, all discussing excitedly the events that were going on below. Fools, I thought, not one realises the true import of this new plague. They think their time is nigh. However if my suspicions are correct there will be no more human cattle left the way these zombies are carrying on."

Cretins and self absorbed morons all, I thought in disgust. None have the breadth of sight of Dracula. It confirms once again why I am the only true Lord of all Vampires I mused and stalked toward the Darkhold Chamber. On the way I armed myself with my two handed sword, Turkbane, and two metal gauntlets before entering the chamber where the inner circle of the new Darkhold had already begun their chanting.

This new Darkhold Coven was the heir to its predecessor, which had thought to use me to bring forth Chthon and ended in serving me instead. Last time that accursed Sorcerer Supreme, Dr Steven Strange had thwarted me, using that self same accursed book to drive all vampires, bar two, from this dimension. That I and my people were once more flourishing showed that our destiny was the greater. Mayhap I could visit a portion of personal revenge while I was in New York.

"Master, all is in readiness here and with our brothers in New York." The Darkhold Grand Master bowed before me. "May Chthon protect you."

"Excellent, and be in readiness if I require immediate return."

"I ..we will try my Lord," The man quavered nervously. "But please understand it takes great life energies to cast the spell of transference from such a great distance. It will take time to rebuild the energy level to cast it again."

"Do not fail me or my displeasure will be great." I glared down at the snivelling underling, Grand master indeed. I passed through the circle to stand in the centre of the glowing pentagram surrounded by the chanting Darkholders. I reached out to tap the power of the Darkholders and projected my mind to the city of New York. I found the object of my desire, the DRAKE Pharmaceutical Building and its matching pentagram in the basement with its own coven of Darkholders. My mind touched theirs. "Now, my servants, transport thy Lord and Master to you." My vision wavered and all around me sparkled with energy and my body was transported from my base on the Moon to the plagued city of New York. ---------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------- New York. A city of millions. And with the greatest concentration of super humans, meta-humans and mutants on the planet, all now infected with the zombie contagion, a city rapidly being consumed.

I stalked the streets of this teeming city in mild awe at the destruction and carnage these self styled Super Heroes and Villains had wrought in such quick time. The waste of livestock was incredible and it was obvious to me, if not for the rest of my people, that this was not going to stop.

When I first arrived, as the sunset on this doomed city, I had confirmed that the building that hosed the New York chapter of the Darkholders and East Coast farm was still secure. The wards of misdirection were holding and seemed, so far, to be not attracting the attention of the Super Zombies. I transformed into mist and left so as not to attract attention and begun my reconnoitre.

I watched as these monstrosities consumed humans on a scale I had never witnessed. No Vampire or Demon matched the ravenous hunger that these creatures showed. A Vampire might consume one maybe two persons to satisfy the thirst. A Demon may consume a coven but the creatures hunger was rarely slacked for more than 30 minutes before they fed again. And, unlike most zombies I have encountered in the past, these retained their intelligence and powers that they had in life. I watched as the Super Hero called Giant Man pluck up a bus full of people and simply pour them down his gapping more. After consuming them, maybe 20 people, he moved onto an office building, tore it open and began plucking screaming office workers and eating them.

I needed to learn more, to understand what drove these beings. I therefore changed back from my mist form and went hunting zombies. Shortly I attracted a zombie female dressed, if one could call it that, in a figure hugging black costume with white fur on legs, arms and the shoulders matching her long white hair. Strangely she had a hole in the centre of her chest where, it seemed, someone had put a fist right through her body.

Hi big boy, The woman actually seemed to purr as she approached. I m Night Cat and I need a big, strong man to feed ME! With that she leapt toward me. She was quick but Dracula is quicker. I dodged the creatures attack with ease, allowing her to sail past and crash into a rubbish bin down an alley. I followed her, preferring seclusion the alley would give me.

Tell me Alley Cat. Why do you feed? I demanded.

I m the Night Cat. I need help me. The creature not attempting to rise from the rubbish where she had fallen. I..I don t understand what s happened to me. I feel hungry all the time.

How did you become as you are now, child I allowed her to play her little girl lost act while quietly drawing my sword. Maybe I can help.

Spider-man. He bit me. He thought I was my sister, The Black Cat. I told him he was wrong and he bit me. Please, help me. She began to sob. Which was interesting seeing she was obviously dead, I could detect no true life aura around her, and more practically, the hole in her chest would have destroyed her lungs.

Who injured you? That hole in your chest must hurt.

Hole? Oh that hole yes yes it hurts. Iron Fist did this to me when he punched me, the $##. But I got even. Ripped his neck right out. Her damsel in distress act dropped as she re-imagined her revenge. But I I mean I didn t mean to. I don t understand what s come over me.

You need to feed. Can you eat anything? I pushed, still using my consoling voice. I glanced around. This was taking too long.

No need flesh, living flesh. She shifted her body ever so slightly. Dead Flesh yuk, taste horrible. Must have living, warm, succulent, FLESH! She turned and sprung at me. As I expected. I caught the creature around the neck and crushed her throat.

Hungry Hungry. The Night Cat continued to scream. I gripped tighter, hearing the neck snap, her larynx crushed. Feed me she continued to beg. I noticed that her wailing had attracted attention. A cloaked and cowled figure stood in the ally looking at us.

Enough, I growled, sweeping my sword across, decapitating her head. Cease thy caterwauling! Her headless body dropped to the ground. It did not twitch, it did not turn to dust. The head also fell, bouncing twice before rolling into the rubbish. Hungry. I need flesh. SILENCE! I raised my foot and smashed it down on the still mewling head. The skull shattered, brains the colour of rotting cauliflower spilled out. Still an eye blinked, the jaw twitched. Enraged I stamped down again and again until the brains were nothing but ooze and the skull was finally still.

Flesh.

I spun around sword up and confronted the hooded zombie.

Hold Zombie, do not approach Dracula. I commanded.

Dracula? The figure halted. You re not alive. Not food. Need food. Need living flesh. The figure moaned plaintively, raising its hands and pushing back the hood to reveal and balding head and bearded face of

Dr Druid! And a zombie too. I laughed. How does it feel Druid to be one of the Undead?

Not Undead. Dead. Dr Druid moaned forlornly. I m soo hungry. I can t stop myself.

Really. And what of your Celtic Gods. They cannot help you? I retreat deeper into the alley, drawing him on so that we would be less likely to attract attention. Here was a man who could answer my questions that the silly girl had failed to.

No, the Gods have abandoned us. They hide in their own realms. Afraid of what we have become.

Really. And how did you come to such a sorry state, Druid?

I got bit earlier today, fighting against the zombies tried to use my mystical powers to keep the infection at bay.

Where is Dr Strange? Mayhap he could help you?

Steven? I had not thought. Maybe he could.

Then let us visit the Sorcerer Supreme and maybe together we can stop this slaughter.

You? You want to help? Druid looked at me, his dead, fish white eyes registering surprise.

Offcourse, I have no desire to see the human cattle so wantonly destroyed as your fellow heroes are currently doing.

You monster, Druid cursed.

Do talk of monsters to me Druid. How many innocents have you eaten alive today, hearing and yet ignoring their screams of pain and terror?

Oh, by the Gods, what have I done! Dr Druid collapsed on the ground and clutched his hands to his face.

Get up man, try and restrained thy hunger. Use what power you have to keep your mind on reaching Strange.

Yes. Yes offcourse, you are right. Steven can save me.

And so we began our journey to the home of Dr Strange. With great effort, and focussing all his mystical power, Dr Druid was able to resist the urge to hunt for flesh. I continued to probe his own experiences of the past hours. He told me how he had been summoned to the S.H.E.L.D. Helicarrier. Of Nick Fury s speech revealing that the plague had come from an inter-dimensional being. Of Tony Stark and Reed Richard s plans to build an inter-dimensional gateway to another universe. Of the attempt to stem the plague to Manhattan by committing all the remaining non-infected super heroes and villains to a try and exterminate the zombies and their failure. He told me that his spells had not worked as they should against the zombies which lead him to guess that the zombies may not be mystical in nature as he had first supposed.

As we travelled to Greenwich Village we passed by the Avengers chase down, defeat and the consume M.O.D.O.K., was nearly attacked by the mutant Multiple Man, or men, as he had obviously activated his mutant power after being bitten. As with Druid I simply pointed out the fact that I was already dead and therefore not food for them to go elsewhere. Just as we arrived at Dr Strange s street I was attacked by some fool called the Hulkling. Obviously infected he did not have the wit to understand that I was already dead and attempted to eat me. In appearance he was a poor copy of the Hulk with armoured plates on his shoulders and fair hair. Irritated that I was being delayed just as I was reaching my destination I called on Dr Druid to assist in dispatching the impediment. However the poltroon had fled down the street towards Strange s house. Enraged at his treachery I drew my sword and, after dodging two attempts of the zombie fool used my own prodigious strength to cut the Hulkling in two. I then left the fool squealing for Food and pursued Druid. However he had too much of a lead and had reached the front door. I saw Strange s Oriental man-servant, Wong, open the door and usher him in before closing the door in my face. I could immediately sense the powerful mystical wards that protected Strange s Sanctum Sanctorum. To have come so far and then be denied was infuriating. The only consolation I could take was that I doubted that any who were taking refuge inside would be soon pleased to have let Dr Druid inside.

Anyone for zombie Trojan Horse? I chuckled and turned away. I was heading back toward Manhattan when the weather changed. Storm cloud s gathered with such speed that I knew that mystical forces were at work. I extended my own power and sensed the all to force of the Thunder God, Thor. I immediately transformed into mist not wanting to deal with either the living or zombie Thunder God at this time. However he was hunting for other prey. Lightning strikes hammered the Earth and I could detect some form of mystical shield react to it. Curious I flowed through the streets until I came upon the Thunder God fighting his step-brother Loki.

Come Brother, do not resist what I offerith to thee. The Enchantress has already received the kiss she has so long desired and is now one with me. Why doth thou refuse mine offer?

Back. Back. I will not become one with you or any of this misbegotten horde of offal. Responded Loki, dodging under Thor s hammer sweep. It was then that I noticed that his hammer was actually a concrete block attached to a pipe. The Thunder God was no longer worthy to wield the Uru Hammer. I am Loki and I will not join what I cannot control.

You have no choice, little brother, Thor sneered. Our Father has abandoned Midgard and us. The Rainbow bridge has be broken. We cannot return to Asgard nor spread this beneficence to our brothers and sisters there. And it seems that Zeus has done the same. We are now the Gods of Earth Loki, Let me kiss you and we can finally be the family you have always wanted.

Ha! cried Loki, hurling a bolt of energy at Thor, I would rather rather work with the Lord of Vampires than become a rotting corpse like you, brother.

I smiled at this and an idea began to form. I left my mist form so that I could focus all my power on the storm above. As the two Asgardians battled, I quietly took control of the Storm the Thunder God has so kindly created. So intent was he on capturing and biting his step-brother that Thor was unaware that he no longer controlled his own storm, or that a massive charge was building above him.

Your brain is truly rotting if you think I will become like you. Look at your face, your flesh. You are rotting away. A true God would never allow this to happen. Loki jeered while continuing to dodge Thor. However it was obviously behind the bravado, the Trickster was injured. His power was obviously depleted otherwise Loki would have simply used his own powers to warp away. And he was slowing. Finally the Trickster stumbled and was then hit on the shoulder by Thor s Hammer and sent flying to land almost at my feet.

Will you make good on your promise to serve the Lord of Vampires or will I leave you to the tender kisses of you brother?

Dracula? Loki looked up at me, shocked. Then he glanced at Thor who was now approaching. You can stop him?

Swear fealty and loyalty to Dracula and I shall save you Trickster. And know that breaking your word will doom you. I pressed, still building the power of the storm above us.

Undead miscreant. My Brother is mine. I know not whether you can be turned but knowst thou I will destroy you utterly if you stand against me.

Now or never Loki. I pressed as I felt Thor s power reaching up toward the heavens. I dug my nails into the palm of my left hand drawing blood. I extended the sanguine hand to the Trickster. Swear loyalty and take his beneficence.

I, Loki Odins-son to swear everlasting fealty to Dracula, Lord of the Vampires and will be his loyal bondman. Loki babbled sensing his life as a free God hung in the balance. Then, after a slight pause, grabbed my hand and drank my blood, sealing the oath.

Accepted! I cried and brought the massive power of the storm crashing down onto the Thunder God s Head. There was no Thunder clap but the electrical discharge had the air crackling. Thor was hurled away crashing into a house on the other side of the road.

I smiled down at the stunned Asgardian. Rise, my loyal servant.

Loki scowled and struggled to his feet. I would not have needed to do that if my accursed Enchantress had not drugged my wine removing much of my powers. She deserved what she got when Thor arrived. Stupid fool did not notice Thor s change until he had grabbed her and bit her cheek.

Enough, Loki. We must depart before your dead brother recovers. Already I can feel him taking hold of the storm. Loki blanched and glanced toward the ruined house. Darkholders, hear thy Master, he summons you to transport him and a servant to you chamber. I reached out grabbed Loki s hand. You will find that my beneficence can save your life. Without my blood now flowing through you this would not be possible. I felt the magic of the Darkholders encompass us both, drawing us through the ether, space to arrive on the Moon.

Around us Darkholders swooned or staggered, nearly completed drained. Ignoring them I stalked out of the chamber.

Follow. I commanded. Loki, grumbling, followed. My court was more quiet now, no longer as cheerful as they had been 6 hours before when I had left. I entered my audience hall and climbed the stairs to my throne. An idea I had had as I had watched the destruction of New York, of zombie Avengers consuming its foes. An idea , which had coalesced when I had found Loki battling Thor now took firm shape. I summoned my court. I surveyed them from my throne. The vampire Baron Blood, the cursed Captain Fate, the demoness Lilith and Loki stood amongst a variety of vampires, demons and eldritch creatures. All had been gathered for my planned invasion of Britain and whom were now stranded like Loki on this plain of existence. Once all were gathered I rose and contemplated them.

Ladies and gentlemen, Vampires, the Accursed and Demons. And Gods. Here I smiled down on Loki. This day and night have witnessed what could be considered the end of this world we know as Earth. Humanity s greatest defenders have fallen to a plague brought from another dimension. Not only have they fallen but they have risen as the harbingers of doom for all who live on its surface. The Gods of Asgard and Olympus and, I have been reliably informed, Here I paused to acknowledge Lilith. The Demon Lords of the Splinter Realms have shut their portals to contain this contagion to this dimension.

A murmur began around the chamber. I raised my hand and all was quiet again.

The Heroes have fallen, and so have those who style themselves Super Villains whom many have used as our cats paws in the past. They have all joined the ranks of flesh eating zombies, spreading this contagion further. I looked around the chamber. And it is growing more rapacious. This Contagion has spread world-wide. Humanities armed forces are powerless against the might of these Super Zombies. The world s mortal super powers will soon be consumed and after them will follow the rest. Understand me. These Super Zombies will never be satiated. I have witnessed first hand that their hunger has no end. Worse they do not need the flesh that they consume. I cut the head off one and it still demanded to be fed. This contagion is a madness that will only end one way.

But Lord Dracula, how can we defeat a foe who continues to want to bite you? Baron Blood asked. And whose bite could even turn one of us?

Excellent questions Baron. For the first, I can confirm that they can in fact be destroyed. I have done so. Severing the head disables the body but the head, as I have said, will still function. Totally destroying the head, or destroying the brain within, ends their existence.

And the second? That was from Lilith. The room went quiet and everyone looked at me.

I can confirm that besides normal Humans, Human mutants, Super beings with normally invulnerable and usually regenerative capabilities, such as the Hulk or Ms Marvel have all succumbed to the contagion. Those of the God Races, Asgardian and Olympian have also succumbed. I can confirm that Thor the Thunder God, Aurora the Enchantress and Heracles the Mighty have all joined the ranks of flesh eating zombies.

The room broke into loud discussions.

Quiet, I admonished, and the chamber, more reluctantly this time, returned to silence.

What of vampires.. my Lord. Loki asked, reluctantly acknowledging my superiority.

Unknown, I said calmly, raising my hand to stop any more talk. At this time. It will have to be tested. But that will be for later. I have an announcement. I paused to focus everyone s attention fully on me.

We have been considered the enemies of mankind because we have offered them a New Order their short sighted religions or societies have deemed evil, deviant or denying them their rightful freedoms. We have been accused of being the aggressor while they have been defending their way of life. They have fought us, sent their soldiers of Light to defeat us. AND WHERE HAS IT BROUGHT THEM! My voice rose. To the slaughter house. To extinction. The Defenders of Humanity have betrayed their trust, their duty, their very morale ground they claimed to hold against us. If we had been in charge this would never have spread beyond the island of Manhattan. None here would have hesitated to have wiped the city of New York from the map when the disease was first identified? I looked around the room to see a collective nod of agreement.

The Shield has failed. I drew out my sword and thrust it aloft. It is now time for the Sword to come to the rescue of the planet AVENGERS ASSEMBLE!

The Story so far: A Sentry from another dimension carrying a zombie contagion arrived on Earth and infected the Mighty Avengers. Dracula and his army of vampires safe on the Moon (having taken it over after the Inhumans left) have watched as the plague swept across the United States. Dracula himself visited New York and has gleaned some information from a zombie Night Cat (sister of the Black Cat) and a zombie Dr Druid before rescuing Loki from a zombie Thor. At the end of Prelude Dracula resolves to save the Earth (for himself and the vampire race) and forms his own Avengers. This story takes place 16 hours after the Sentry first encountered the Avengers.

Marvel Zombie/Vampire Wars: Chapter 1 Dracula s Guests

This it TKYN Anchorage Alaska , I m Tracy Potiven. And this is the 6am news. The screen showed an attractive 30 year old woman in a white blouse, open to give a hint of cleavage, smiling rather fixedly at the screen. Despite the obvious efforts of make up, it was obvious the woman had been up for a while. Um its been difficult to get a clear picture of what s been going on in the rest of the world over the past 8 hours. We seem to be having some difficulty in contacting our affiliates but incredible as it seems the reports we did obtain seem to indicate that Super Heroes are attacking and um .eating people the woman tittered nervously. I don t know how credible these reports are. I think we may be looking at the biggest April Fools Joke being perpetrated on us here in Alaska. OH! She screamed as the building was suddenly rocked from an explosion. What was that? Are we are we WHAT IS THAT! She pointed off screen, screaming at the top her lungs. The camera fell on its side but continued to function but only showing the anchor desk. More screams were heard followed by crunching noises. The anchor desk suddenly shook violently. There was a high pitched woman s scream that was cut short and blood sprayed from above onto the floor. A woman hand appeared at the top of the miss-angled screen moving spasmodically before dropping, severed from its body to the floor. The screen went blank.

Next. I said bored, though the sight of the blood reminded me I had not fed since I returned. And bring me a girl. I ordered as I looked at the bank of screens, 100 in all, which had shown similar scenes over the past 6 hours. 100 screens which usual when a television station fell to the zombies, another would take its place. I noted that the Anchorage screen stayed blank. Like 84 other screens. 85 I corrected myself as another one flicked and went blank. In the entire world only 13 television broadcasting centres remained operational. Is that the last one on the continent of America.?

Yes, Lord Dracula. Said my ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. operative, Miss Hand. The American Super Zombies have completed the consumption of North and South America and many of them have crossed the Atlantic. They are currently sweeping through Britain and France into Germany. I believe they have picked up Super Heroes and villains from those countries on the way. The Soviet Supreme have consumed the USSR. They have split up with some moving to the Middle East while others have linked up the Asian Super Zombies and are eating their way through China.

And what is the status in Latveria? Only 12 screens now showed life.

Latveria has fallen except for Dr. Doom s castle and it is under siege by a number of Super Zombies, although we have only identified one so far, Goliath.

I think its time to talk to Doom again. He may be more receptive this time. 11 screens still were active. 10. The face of Doom appeared on the screen.

Your Majesty, I hope I find you well? I beamed at the screen.

What do you want Artefact.

Insulting to the end. Charming. Actually Victor, I was going to ask you the same question. You seem to have acquired some rather hungry new subjects. 9

I need no assistance from you, Doom replied angrily, obviously annoyed by my using his first name. Your powers over the undead have now value against this contagion. The origin is extraterrestrial not supernatural. It is a pan-dimensional virus, a cosmic contagion. Not In-human, not mutant, not pseudo-goddess and certainly not an animated corpse can resist it. SCIENCE, not sorcery, will be the key to putting an end to it. Doom said confidently. It will be I, Victor von Doom who will do it and become the world s saviour and rightful ruler. Another screen, with its seemingly obligatory screams for mercy and help, flickered off. 7.

Suddenly one of Doom s underlings appeared. My Lord, An Avenger Quinjet carrying the Scarlet Witch and the Dazzler and one other un-identified male are requesting permission to land. Scans show that they are uninfected.

Silence. Doom growled and the underling disappeared. I have nothing more to say to you, Artefact. 6.

Fair thee well, Victor. You have rejected me twice. I will not give you a third. I said in mock regret.

Good then you will bother me no more. Doom s visage disappeared from the screen.

I laughed out loud. Arrogant fool. He really thinks he can stop this alone.

My Lord We have identified the Red Guardian, Darkstar, Crimson Dynamo and Ursa Major have crossed into Rumania. Our assets there are threatened. Miss Hand reported. Prepare a skylaunch and summon the Avengers. We are about to pay a little visit. I glance up at the bank of blank screens. 5 screens remained. The pattern was clear the tide was sweeping West to East and East to West, all converging on one place.

--------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------- Home. I looked around at the heavy wooded mountains and actually sucked in the air. It had been a while. I looked up at the semi-ruined castle on the hill. My castle, Castle Dracula. It had been badly damaged when Quincy Harker had blown himself up, hoping to bury me forever. Little more than a ruined tower and some of the walls remained. And yet my people had come here seeking refuge from a threat that was consuming the world. The Russian Super Zombies had consumed most of Rumania by the time we had arrived and were heading towards Latveria when they caught the refugees scent. But they were my guests, my people, heirs to those I had fought to protect against the Turk five centuries before. This would be my Avengers first test.

I summoned a fog that obscured vision for more than a few feet. With me were Michael Morbius, another vampire whose experience in bio-chemistry (he won the Nobel prize) would be invaluable once we had acquired specimens to examine, Loki, the Asgardian God of Mischief and Lilith, so-called Mother of all Demons. While she has super strength it is her command of mystical powers that was of most value to me. I had stressed to my team that they were not to close with the zombies unless surprise could be achieved. Doom s claim that this infection was all encompassing was ever present in my mind.

In mist form I floated around my Avengers first challenge. They approached along the path with no fear, supremely confident in their power. Soviet Super Soldiers. First was Ursa Major, a Russian mutant, who could change into a huge Russian Brown Bear and who had the strength and resilience to take on even the Hulk. He sniffed the air. They are up ahead, he growled in Russian. In that ruined castle. Fresh meat.

Excellent Comrade, a fine entree before ve cross into Latveria and join the Westerners in crushing Doom. Said the Red Guardian. He was the Soviet version of Captain America, right down to the shield, but with no powers other than his military knowledge and training in combat. Let us hurry, I am hungry again. Ursa has been taking too much. The woman next to him complained. She was blond, dressed in a figure hugging black costume with a white star burst between her breasts. Darkstar. Possibly the most dangerous of the group with her mutant power to psionically access the extra-dimensional energies of the Darkforce dimension (or so the S.H.I.E.L.D. files had stated) allowing her to create objects or fire concussive energy bolts. She could also teleport if necessary. Finally, flying slowly above, was the armoured warrior, the Crimson Dynamo, the fourth to bare the name, a Russian copy of the American Iron Man. Like Iron Man his armour was highly resistant to attack, equipped with hand blasters and able to fire high-frequency electrical bolts.

Yuri what do you see? The Red Guardian talked on his radio. This fog is very strange, the Dynamo replied. It seems to be just in dis valley. The castle is in ruins and has no real defences. There are maybe 20 families hiding in the ruined tower. Easy pickings. I will go ahead and make certain no one escapes down the cliff behind the castle. Hah, just make certain you don t hog all the choice meat, Liyana would not be happy. The Dynamo chuckled and flew off. Excellent the party was split. Loki and Lilith could deal with the armoured zombie. I wafted closer to Darkstar. VAIT! the mutant bear stopped, sniffing the air. Der is sometink very wrong. I sense . I didn t wait to hear what the fool thought as I materialised behind Darkstar and brought my mace down, splattering her head and spilling her greenish, decaying brains all over the path. Ambush! the Red Guardian cried out spinning to face me shield raised. Exactly, I smiled at the Zombie Super Soldier. These are my people and my guests. You cannot have them. Fully focussed on me the Red Guardian had exposed his back to Morbius who now also reformed from mist and grasping the zombie s head and ripped it from his body in one swift movement. NO! roared Ursa who swung around and caught Morbius with his right paw smashing him up and back down the valley. The force of the hit probably had sent Morbius a mile and out of the rest of the fight.

Come monster, I want your head to add to your friends. I laughed, exhilarated at the chance of battle. Ursa roared and charged me but I simply turned to mist, allowing him to pass through me. Up at the castle I could hear sounds of battle as Lilith and Loki engaged the Dynamo. As Ursa ground to halt and turned around I reformed and sent my power into the night sky, raising the cloud that encased us, concentrated it, turning it from fog to storm clouds. The Mutant bear advanced on me more cautiously. With the fog gone I was now clear to see. Who are you? He sniffed. You don t smell like meat. What are you? I am Dracula, and the people staying in that castle are my guests and under my protection. I dropped the mace and reached over to pull an iron railing that marked the edge of the path. Above us the storm built. Huhr, nothing but my meal now, you decadent oppressor of the people? As opposed I assume to you, the communist consumer of the people hmm? I baited him, while the storm built above us. There was a flash of lightning followed by the boom of thunder.

Bahr, I care nothing but my hunger. I MUST FEED! He charged. This time I transformed into my man-size bat form and flew over the charging bear driving the metal railing down deep into his back as he passed beneath me. Hah, did you think that could hurt me? the mutant zombie laughed as he again slid to a stop. I m dead, I feel no pain. I have fought the Hulk. What power do you possess to compare to that?

True, beast, I have not your strength. However I would ask you. Do you know what happens to even a dead body when it is hit by lightning? I landed facing him , changing back into my normal form. Ursa s milk white eyes opened wide. He looked up at the storm clouds and the flashing lightning and then tried to reach behind to pull the iron railing from his back. I raised my arms and called upon the storm. One, two, three, four lightning bolts hit the pole. I closed my eyes to the flashes as the crash of thunder reverberated through the valleys, trumpeting my arrival back in my beloved Wallachia. I opened my eyes and looked at the spot where the zombie mutant bear had been. Same as it does to everything else. I finished looked at the very charred remains. You Aristocratic Swine, cursed the head of the Red Guardian where Morbius had obviously dropped it when he was hit. I bent down plucked the still helmeted head up and looked into its eyes. Silence, I commanded, forcing my will upon it. Well done my Lord, said Morbius turning back from a bat into his normal form. I apologize for my tardiness but the Bear hit me for over two miles and I needed to repair the damage before I could even move. Not an issue, Michael, here, I tossed the now quiescent zombie head to Morbius. Your first specimen. His body and Darkstar s may also be of use And here is another. Loki and Lilith appeared, the Asgardian holding the armoured body of the Crimson Dynamo, while Lilith held the head. A little magic, a little teleportation and thus.

Well done my Avengers. We have had our first success. We will attend to the people up at the castle and confirm that the laboratory beneath is still in tact and then. And Then, My Lord, Lilith almost seemed to purr. I smiled, showing my fangs. We pay a visit to the Doctor.

NEXT: DOOMSDAY?

ravenswald sidekick Joined: 01.01.1970 Posts: 185

Posted: 10.29.2009 10:21pm ." Marvel Zombie/Vampire Wars Chapter 2

The Story so far: The zombie infection has spread to all the meta-humans of the planet and they are rapidly consuming the population of the Earth. Dracula, with his newly formed Avengers team returns to Earth to meet with Dr Doom, whose castle is rapidly becoming the last stronghold not fallen to the zombie tide. On the way Dracula returns to his ancestral homeland where he encounters and defeats the Soviet Supreme. Now read on.

Marvel Zombie/Vampire Wars: Chapter 2 Doomsday

Before me an army unbeatable lay destroyed. I stood upon the battlements of a castle impregnable, which had fallen. An Army of Darkness numbering in the hundreds of thousands had been destroyed by a force numbering less than one thousand. A fortress declared by its ruler to be impregnable and acknowledged as such by the world had fallen to that same paltry number. Even its ruler, reputed, like myself, to be nigh unkillable, had been killed. Worse this man, with a brain ranked amongst the greatest in the world, with a mastery of sorcery few could match, was now reduced to a flesh eating zombie. Thus did I, Dracula, Lord of the Undead, come to the home of Dr. Victor von Doom.

No living human was left in the vicinity of this stricken fortress. However there were two witnesses who were able to convey the last hours of Doomstadt. And while they were not living they were not dead either. They were Deadites. When the Book of the Necronomicon was used to raise the dead to form the Army of Darkness it raised all the dead, including two recently slain by Doom himself, the Asgardian Amora known as the Enchantress and the mutant known as the Dazzler. Both had been infected by the zombie contagion, in fact it had been the Enchantress herself who had bitten the Dazzler, and both had been killed by having their heads reduced to mere skulls by the blast of Dr Doom. However lack of brains was no problem for a book as mighty as the Necronomicon and so I and my fellow Avengers, Lilith (Mother of Demons), Dr Morbius (vampire), and Loki (Asgardian God of Mischief), were met by two women whose still svelte but voluptuous bodies were topped by grinning bare skulls. (The magic of the spell allowed them to speak despite the fact they had no tongues or voice boxes.)

It was they that imparted to me the last hour of Doomstadt, all the while both women bewailing their lost beauty. They told how Doom s last act was to save the best of his people through a trans-dimensional portal before being pummelled by a zombie Thing. The rest of his people became the latest meal for the horde of insatiable super zombies that had once been Earth s greatest heroes and villains. Dazzler revealed that it was Ben Grimm and Reed Richards, utilising Charles Xavier s Cerebro device that had led the zombies to the last concentrated hiding place of humanity. This news concerned me greatly as they could use this device to locate the farms my people and I had hidden around the globe. I pressed the Dazzler for information as to location of this device and ordered Captain Fate to launch an attack on Xavier s School to destroy this device. If the zombies wanted more fresh meat they would have to hunt for it without such a tool to aid them.

The Dazzler valuable information gave me an idea. Accessing Doom s library I found that he had an ancient Greek copy of the Darkhold, the ancient text created by the Elder God Chthon which had been instrumental in raising the first vampires). The Necronomicon was also found (after the indignities it had suffered at the hands of the Hulk too gross for even I to put down) and after cleaning was more than willing to serve me. With spells from these two books, Lilith s mystical power and prowess and my blood a transformation spell was cast over both females. Where once two Deadites had stood now two new vampires now served my will. They were grateful for having their beauty restored (if ever there were two meta-humans more concerned about their looks it was these two) and willing to serve me. They could, I admit, do no less as they were now literally blood of my blood. The only disappointment was that they both seemed to have lost their original powers (although Amora did retain her extensive arcane knowledge). But they were both cured of the zombie contagion and I had no hesitation in adding them to my Avengers roster, hoping that their powers might return with time. While Loki, Morbius and Amora plus a battalion of my vampires began the work of making Doomstadt defensible again (I had resolved to make it my base for the time being) I had Lilith open a portal to New York and, along with the Dazzler, we returned to the city where the zombie holocaust had begun. --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------

New York. One time metropolis and possibly largest city in the United States of America. Now a ruined charnel house where the flesh eating meta-humans roamed in search of the last survivors. So far these undead creatures had yet to find my farm and I was intent on keeping it that way. Farm. I have not explained before what that implies to a vampire. Over the past twenty years the vampire community decide on , what I acknowledge now, as a simple but brilliant plan to provide sustenance without attracting unwanted attention. At the time I dismissed it as beneath my people for it robbed us, the supreme predators, of the simple joys of the hunt and kill. But it was not a Devil s Send. Each farm, located in major cities across the globe, contained around 1000 human beings, kept alive and in stasis for the express purpose of providing a lifetimes supply of blood. Even the problem of replacing stock had been taken care of as vampire bio-chemist such as Morbius had harvested the female eggs and male sperm to be combined to grow more in an on going process. A decadent solution admittedly but one that was highly valuable now that the human population had been rendered virtually extinct.

It was the fourth night since the contagion had first come to the city and the number of survivors in the once proud city had been reduced to a virtual handful. Dazzler, now integrated back into the zombie community undetected, had informed me that they were currently hunting these last few, led by the mutant Magneto and a being identified as a younger version of Reed Richards from another dimension. The zombie Fantastic Four it seemed had already passed over to this other dimension. She had personally encountered this young Reed Richards but he, along with the other human survivors had been saved by the rest of this other dimensional Fantastic Four and all had escaped through the same dimensional portal. That portal had been destroyed by Magneto who was currently now a lone fugitive in the city.

Of more interest to me was the Dazzler s report that the Black Knight was in the city as was Dr Doom. The Black Knight, or more specifically his sword, the Ebony Blade, was of most interest to me and imperative in my plans for Doom. And so, as the zombies hunted down Magneto, I went out to challenge the Black Knight.

I found Dane Whitman, aka the Black Knight, the , on his own, in the railway tunnels beneath the city where Magneto had once been hiding. Becoming a zombie had not been kind to him. Beside the general grey and green tinge of his slowly rotting skin was the fact that someone (I latter learned it was Thor) had knocked his lower jaw completely off making conversation and eating difficult in the extreme. As a fellow knight I was disinclined to simply ambush him as I had done the Soviet Supreme. As I approached him he gave a strangle warbling moan and drew his sword. It was covered in dry blood.

Mr Whitman, for shame. You have failed to clean your sword after battle. I tsked teasingly coming on guard with my own enchanted blade, Turkbane. Or should I say after slaughter. I corrected.

Whitman gargled something and charged me. The Ebony Blade, besides its ability to cut through almost anything no ensorcelled or made of adamantium including magical barriers, and its ability to either deflect or absorb all forms of energy, was afflicted by a blood curse. Every time it drew blood it drove its user closer to madness. And Whitman had obviously used the sword recently to draw a lot of blood. He was in fact totally insane.

I dodged his first charge, deflecting his whirling blade. Even though enchanted itself, a sliver of metal was peeled of my sword as the Ebony Blade ran down it. He turned quickly and began to land savage blows, some I dodged some I parried. Each parry added another notch to my blade. He may have been a master swordsman, strengthened by the blood madness and never tiring due to his zombie state but I am Dracula and I acknowledge no equal. I waited until he made a two handed cut that would have split me it two if it had landed but I dodge, pirouetted and then brought my own sword down and across, neatly cutting off his left arm just below the shoulder joint. This did not however phase Whitman who charged at me making that gargling growl of his. I effortless sidestepped him and with graceful back cut severed his right arm. The Black Knight stopped and blinked perplexedly to his left and right stumps.

Does this remind you of anything, My Lady? I called back to Lilith who had remained watching in the shadows. He looks fairly armless now. I punned.

Yes My Lord, Lilith laughed musically. Mayhap he could find himself a Coat of Arms to assist him. We both laughed at that one. Enraged the Black Knight tried to close with me. While tempted to remove a leg I decided to end the fight and clinically took his head off. Tis but a flesh wound. I opined and bowed to the applauding Lilith. I then unbuckled the knight s belt and scabbard and retrieve the Ebony Blade, cleaning it using the Knights own surcoat. My Lady, if you would so kind as send the head to Doomstadt. I intend to see he has a chance to rejoin his comrades. Lilith opened a portal stepping through with the head and then returning. We then went in search of the Dazzler.

We found her near the Baxter Building where she had much to tell. Magneto had been found and consumed. Iron Man and other had returned from searching the surrounding Country for food and had been most put out that they had eaten Magneto without waiting for him. More curious was the appearance of a strange silvery being on what the Dazzler described as a surf board. He had disappeared only to return an hour later to declare he was summoning the Great Galactus to consume the world. At the word Galactus Lilith panicked. We are doomed. It is Doomsday! I had never seen the Mother of Demons so afraid. Lilith, restrain yourself. Who is this Galactus you fear so much? I commanded. He is the Devourer of World s and that silver being was his herald. What happened next. I turned back to Dazzler. They ate him. The Dazzler said, shrugging. They WHAT?! Lilith s eyes goggled. Yeh, He was pretty tough at first. One of his blast cut Iron Man right through. But then the Hulk bit his head off and down he went. And the best part was they then all started fighting over him. In the end only Hulk, Giant Man, Colonel America, Spider Man, Iron Man, um Luke Cage and oh yeh Wolverine got to feed. Dazzler giggled. The rest were real pissed. But Colonel America just pointed his finger and blew the Beasts head off just like the Surfer dude had done. Then the rest got into the act and well they were still at it when I came to find you. in other words you ran away. I replied dryly. I wasn t the only one! Dazzler said defensively. They were frying the other zombies in the hope that being cooked made them taste better. I don t think they do. Well I suspect they will be other wise occupied. I said looking up and behind the Dazzler. Lilith gasped. Oh. Why, My Lord? Dazzler asked. Because I presume that is Galactus and I believe the zombies are now our only hope.

------------------------------------------------------------- ---- -------------------We watched as the cosmic powered zombie heroes attacked Galactus and then retreated. Then it was the turn of the Super Villains who had obviously fled when the Cosmic zombies started attacking the others. Led by Dr Doom and other evil masterminds they villains actually did some damage however slight to the World=devourer. Enough to keep him occupied until the cosmic zombies returned with a machine that focussed and amplified their new found cosmic powers, which, when fired brought down the giant. Any unity the zombies may have shown during their rampage across the Earth was now definitely gone. The cosmic zombies refused to allow the other zombie villains to share and fell to fighting. Now was my chance. I turned to mist and made my way onto the battlefield.

However outnumbered, the cosmic zombies power was too great for the villains. This seems to have occurred to some of the villains, who like their more sensible heroes earlier began to retreat. I could not allow Doom to escape though and reformed in front of the zombified ex-lord of Latveria. I believe, Victor, it is time to learn who would win a war between us, I smiled drawing the Ebony Blade, ready. Doom, his scarred and decaying face no long covered by his face plate snarled in contempt. Artefact, I have no time for you. Die now. And raised his gauntlet and fired, only for the blast to be deflected into Baron Zemo, disintegrating him. I responded with my enhanced speed lunging forward to slice his hand of above the wrist. As Doom desperately raised his left hand to fire again I spun around. You should have raised your shield Victor, I said as the ebony blade sheered through the titanium ally of his armour like it was butter. Doom s body fell back and I bent done to pick up his head by its cowl.

Hey, who the hell are you Hey your Dracula! Spiderman said as he finished killing Venom. You better not be trying for a piece of Galactus. Power flared from his hands. No, my young friend. I was just settling an old score with Victor here. I will leave you and your comrades in peace. I said backing away. Oh look, the Red Skull just pulled Colonel America s brains out of his head. Colonel!!! Spiderman spun around and fired a blast that severed the head of the cackling Nazi Zombie. So worth it all of it Just for this. His laughter ended as Giant man stepped on the Red Skull, crushing it. Taking advantage of the confusion I left with my trophy.

The remaining villains were soon dispatched. From our vantage point inside the ruins of the Baxter Building we watched as Galactus recovered from the cosmic zombies first blow, declaring that no mortal insects could threaten him. However these were neither mortal nor insects but they did swarm all over him, biting and tearing through his suit and into his flesh. I would suspect for the first time in his eon spanning life the World Devourer finally felt the fear his past victims may have felt.

Suddenly a golden prism of light appeared in front of us. Even stranger was what came through. First the Human Torch, cocooned in some viscous black goo, then a extremely rotten Sue Storm, her flesh and bone so necrotised she could not even stand. Then Mr Fantastic, covered by consuming maggots, followed by pieces of the Thing. Finally Dr Doom step through. The glowing prism disappeared with a Poit . Facing toward the square Doom was unaware of us. He survey the scene of four Super Zombies consuming the now dead Galactus. Hmph, Well THIS should be a challenge. He said folding his arms.

I quietly lend across to Lilith and said. "Well you were right. It certainly has been a Doom's Day."

NEXT: Zombies strike back.

Marvel Zombies /Vampire Wars Chapter 3 Zombies strike back.

The Story so Far: After the zombie contagion had spread to the entire population of Earth s meta-humans it fell to Dracula and his moon-based vampires to lead a fight back. Creating a new Avengers team made up of Lilith, Mother of Demons, Loki, and Dr Morbius, Dracula first ambushed the Soviet Supreme before re-occupying Dr Doom s castle. Here he found the Deadite Dazzler and Enchantress as well as the soiled Necronomicon. Using The powers of it, a copy of the Darkhold as his blood and Lilith s magic he was able to turn both into Vampires. While leaving Loki, the Enchantress and Morbius to begin repairing Doomstadt, Dracula, Lilith and the Dazzler. While Dracula and Lilith remained in hiding the Dazzler mingled among the zombies gathering information including the hunt for and death of Magneto, and the arrival and defeat of first the Silver Surfer and then Galactus. Dracula engaged and defeated the Black Knight obtaining his Ebony Sword which he then used on Dr Doom while the Super Heroes and Villains battled for the right to eat Galactus. Dracula escapes with Dr Doom s head and the Avengers watch as Galactus in consumed. Form the vantage of the ruins of the Baxter Building. They are surprised when a portal opens and the zombie Fantastic Four are thrown through the portal followed by Dr Doom. Read on.

You could say that, I said walking forward quickly and crushing the skull Susan Storm. Lilith deal with Richards, Dazzler the Torch. Lilith cast a spell which suddenly froze Mr Fantastic solid and ten kicked his head shattering it. Dazzler simply picked up a iron rode with a block of concrete attached and, utilising who new vampire strength, beat in the Human Torch s head. Doom watched this then stomped down on what was left of the Thing s head.

I would suggest we withdraw to a more concealed location. I advised. I do assure you the natives around here I quite restless.

--------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------- Out in the plaza the triumphant zombies: The Hulk, Spiderman, Giant-man, Wolverine, Luke Cage, Iron Man had just finished their meal.

MMmmm, Hulk feel full. Nice. The Hulk sank to the ground and burped, then a glow encased him and when it faded he was now wearing aversion of the purple uniform worn by Galactus.

Hey man. Dig the cool threads the Hulkster just got. Luke Cage said, then he too burped and glowed. $#*$!% n. Techno-jump suit, Dynomite!

Obviously Galactus cosmic power has the ability to change our appearance. Iron Man said and burped. His upper torso armour changed to Galactus while retaining his old Iron Man helmet. Sentimental reasons, Tony explained. Damn, I had hopped to grown back my lower body.

Hey Stark, wishing for it to grow back never works. Wolverine laughed and burped. And you don t need to impress da ladies when you gonna eat em anyway.

All of the now changed Super Zombies laughed at Tony s expense.

Yeh,,yeh. Ha, ha. Laugh it up, Meatballs. But have any of you comedians thought where we are going to get our next feed? Stark growled. The Super Zombies stopped and looked at each other in shock. Right, not so funny now huh? Stark said triumphantly. Fortunately you have me to think for you. We have the power of Galactus now Right? So we re in effect Galacti, Right? So like Galactus we can

The other look blankly at him. fly to other planets sheesh. Come on Hank I thought at least you would get it.

I um well don t fly so I er Hank Pym trailed off embarrassed.

Ok, well let s go. It s a long way to Alpha Centauri but we got a full stomach and juiced up on cosmic power. Let s do what Stark says. Wolverine accepted the logic without qualms. The others agreed and without further ado shot up into the heavens. ------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------ Fortune favours us, it seems. Time for us to go to. Dr Doom, if you would do the honour of joining me. I smiled. There are still quite a few normal super zombies to deal with and your aid would be most valuable.

I am Dr Doom and I acknowledge no copies. Declare the Doom head I held.

Ignore the Talking Head, I advised. I assume I am addressing the Victor von Doom from the younger Reed Richard s dimension?

Correction, I am Victor von Damme and if I am correct (and I always am) you are Prince Vlad Tepes. I am your descendent in my dimension. Dr Doom replied. But I accept the title of Dr Doom for both this and my own dimension as is right.

RUBBISH. How dare you! You misbegotten reject from a Xeroxed dimension. I AM DOOM! Roared the head.

You are a head, sir, and if this is what I became in this dimension, Dr Doom looked at the badly scared, necrotised face of his counter part with mild disgust. I am for the first time glad of my own transformation. Now silence. He reached out and touched the Doom head and suddenly the rotting flesh grew over and sealed it s mouth shut.

Why thank you your Highness. I said smiling and giving a bow. Lilith open the portal to Doomstadt. Ms. Dazzler, find the other survivors and join them. Do not feed often, remember you re a zombie so don t look too fresh . She bowed and left.

Lilith opened a portal and Dr Doom, Doom s other head and I stepped through to Doomstadt .and into battle. -------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------- The castle was under attack. Vampires battled what I identified as the rest of the Soviet Supreme along with other Russian meta-humans. From the piles of dust and bone already many of my people had fallen. Lilith, shield yourself and go find Loki. I ordered. Your Highness if you would assist. Offcourse, your Highness, Dr Doom bowed slightly. Excellent then follow my lead. I then reached out with my will. Vampires. Kindred. Here me and obey. MIST!

Suddenly all the remaining vampires disappeared in puffs of mist.

This left Doom and I alone in a mist filled courtyard with about 15 super zombies. Doom reacted first, firing a disintegration blast at Doctor Volkh, whose power, like Reed Richards, was to make his body stretch. His upper body, which had been wrapped around one of my vampires, disappeared. I summoned up a storm over head and sent lightning arc down on Mentac, Mikula and Blind Faith, all who possessed mental powers that could most threaten us. Each died as the massive electrical strikes fried their putrid brains. I was then flung back as Titanium Man hit me with concusive bolts. I turned to mist up. In my mist form I was able to penetrate his armour through the empty helmet and then down into the chest chamber where the zombie Gremlin sat. I let part of my mist form slip up the nostrils of the Gremlin and into his brain. I then concentrate on reforming only my cloak, a power I rarely use due the need to focus all my will to achieve this. I lost control of the storm but achieved my object as suddenly my cloak reformed inside the Gremlins skull, destroying his brain. Titanium Man crashed to earth as I remove my self , still in mist form. Doom was having a hard time. Concussion had knocked him of his feet with his blasts and the Iron Curtain had dropped down on him. But he had achieved the desired effect. The zombies were focussed on him.

My people, I roared. Reform and attack! The startled Russians suddenly found a horde of vampires suddenly appear behind them. Grasping and tearing limbs and heads off my people showed why they should be feared. I swooped down on Iron Curtain materialising with the Ebony blade in hand, taking his head off with one swing. Above Concussion s head was removed as Loki s spear took it off. Suddenly it was as if the sun was breaking through the clouds. My vampire cohorts screamed in dismay and fled for the castle. I could not believe it. It should be hours before the sun rose. Do not worry, My Lord, I heard Lilith call as she unleashed green bolts of magic force on a young woman. It is mere illusion cast by this foolish sorceress. For Hates sack tighten until the sinews pop. For joys delight may they crush until they break this vessel in their embrace! Her spell enveloped the woman I now identified as the Illusionist Fantasia. She screamed as her body was literally crushed into jelly. I was distracted as a woman standing over seven feet tall suddenly opened up a spatial rift through which an arctic-like wind howled through. However my powers over the weather extended to even this and my will was greater than this young mutant named Bora. I wrenched control of the storm from the mutant and turned it back on her, intensifying it so that in froze her in place. It was child s play to then to shatter her skull and closing the rift.

Only Petrun now remained of the Russian invaders, the Slavic God of Thunder and Lightning. The red bearded axe wielding maniac was being attacked by 20 of my vampires and was destroying one with every swing. However their sacrifice had kept him distracted allowing me to have full control of the weather. However I dismissed the storm as I could see he was getting the better of my people. Lilith, bind him your Magic. Loki, pin him with your spear. Doom take his head off. Petrun gave a roar and took the last three vampires heads off with one swing of his axe. This gave Lilith the opening she needed, encasing him in glowing green chains. Then Loki drove his spear deep into the Slavic God right arm, pinning the axe. Doom then stepped forward, raised his hand and disintegrated the zombie god s head off.

Silence descended over Doomstadt.

I walked forward and picked up Petrun s axe. Humph, I thought so. Just a normal battle axe. Like Thor he was unworthy to wield his magic weapon as a zombie.

I surveyed the carnage. Baron Blood and Dr Morbius approached. Both seemed shaken and battered but whole.

Your arrival was most opportune, My Lord. The Baron said, falling to his knees. The defences have not been repaired yet and their attack was vicious.

Just so, Baron. But you held until we arrived and that is the main thing. Continue the work. I have brought with one that will be of great assistance. If you are still willing to assist? I turned to Doom.

Offcourse, your highness. It is in both our interests after all. However I would ask what you intend to do with that. He pointed at the head of the zombie Doom where I had dropped it at the beginning of the fight.

This is my castle! My Land. I am its Lord. There is only one Doom and he is ME! The head of zombie Doom raved. It was then I remembered that Doom was a master sorcerer in his own right.

Firstly, I need to take care of something. I reached down and using two fingers drove them into Doom s eye socket s and plucked out his eye s. Can t have him transferring bodies now can we. And now, as he claims this castle and land let us make sure he has a good view, metaphorically speaking. Baron, impale his head above the Gate. In fact put all the heads up there. Let them wring out their defeat through all eternity.

I am impressed. I didn t think you were so .inventive. Doom said.

I turned, flicking the two ruined eyeballs from my fingers as I did, then taped my chest. Dracula.

Next Week: Britain Vampire or Zombie State?

Marvel Zombies /Vampire Wars Chapter 4 Britain- Vampire or Zombie State

The Story so Far: After rescuing Ultimate Dr Doom from the Cosmic Zombies and leaving Vampire Dazzler to spy on the New York Zombies, Dracula and his Avengers returned to Doomstadt to discover it under attack by Russian zombies. Defeating them and impaling them and this universe s Dr Doom s heads above the castle gate Dracula resolves to end the zombie threat in Europe once and for all. Now read on. ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------- One month after the Cosmic Zombies have Earth to consume the Universe.

My, Lord I still don t understand. Ms Victoria Hand asked, respectfully. Why are you surrendering to the zombies like this?

And what makes you think I am surrendering? I asked calmly.

Well, we have suffered heavy losses in our last three battles in Italy, France and Turkey as well as the losses we sustained in defeating the Russian zombies at Doomstadt, Ms Hand said cautiously, obviously trying not to anger me. I smiled which seemed to only make her more nervous.

Go on. I prodded.

Um, well we only had a limited number of vampires, 1000 in total which has now be reduced to just on half that number and we have really no way of creating more except either from the Darkholders or from the farms.

Which I will not do at this juncture. I said frowning at the memory of the losses we had sustained so far. It was true we now had cleansed all of Russia, the Balkans and the Middle East of the zombie taint but the Far East, Africa and Western Europe including the British Isles were still held by the zombies, not to mention the Americas. I had also lost one of my Avengers, The Enchantress, killed by the zombie Captain Britain during the Battle for France.

And now you have offered the complete farm of Berlin as a peace offering to all the European Zombies, excluding the British. Ms Hand hurriedly finished.

Quite true, and fortunately for us they have accepted. I concluded. I turned to Loki, Dr Doom and the Demon Viscountess Lilith. Is everything prepared to receive them?

All three nodded. Loki, could not repress a large grin. I am looking forward to this. It should be most amusing. Ah they have arrived and as you predicted they are scouting the area. Not that they will find anything other than our peace offering.

I ..I don t understand? Ms Hand looked from one to the other. Are we not conceding? And what if they decide to betray us? There are still at least 50 Super zombies in Europe not including the British.

Child, let me give you a lesson in history. I said. When I was ruler of Wallachia I decided to cleanse my land of the beggars, the sick and the poor. I believe Dr Doom understands the burden these creatures place upon a land, do you not?

Quite so, Doom rumbled. a useless and intolerable burden.

These people lived off the sweat of others, useless to humanity. True parasites, for they suck the very livelihood of a nation by begging and are never satiated until they have everything and still they want more. I resolved that such useless creatures must be eradicated from my land.

On the large screen before us it showed the zombie Heroes and villains of Europe enter the chamber where row upon row of human cattle were hung, in stasis, wrapped with IV tubes going in and blood being transfused out in a steady and efficient process. There were farms like this in most major cities around the world containing the runaways, the discarded, the forgotten of modern society whose sole purpose was to sustain the vampire nation. And, by a quirk of fate, they were the last vestige of humanity now existing on this planet. The zombies looked in unconcealed hunger at the bagged and preserved lumps of meat.

I ordered a feast to be prepared for all these creatures in my capital, I continued while watching the screen. On the appointed day the city groaned under the weight of this large concentration of beggars who had come. I laid out clothes for them and then led them to a large mansion where tables of food and drink had been set for them. And they fell on this feast like the animals they were. On the screen the zombies could restrain themselves no longer, confident in their power, and overwhelmed by their hunger they tore and fought at the bags holding the human vessels, gorging themselves on the meat. I sneered in disgust. While they gorged themselves on my beneficence I ordered my staff to close and lock all the doors and then set fire to the mansion. Now Prince. Loki chuckled and hit a button and all the doors sealed tight.

It was the French Hero, General Gaul who suddenly raised his head and sensed what was occurring. Treachery! Le $## as set a trap. The others raised their heads from their gory feast and began to laugh. Do you think we are not prepared for dis? The General declared. We ave beaten you before and we can do it again.

Really? Now your highness. I signalled to Dr Doom. Doom pressed a button which activated the device he himself had built. The lights in the room suddenly grew in intensity, hidden until that moment by Lilith s magics. Then the light returned to normal.

Iz that it? The General asked laughing. Panzer, you and Tercio break us out of here. The German armoured super hero stood stock still, unable to move. Tercio, the Spanish Hero charged the door and slammed into it and rebounded, his shoulder caved in. What is dis? My powers? What as appened to our powers?

Courtesy of Dr Doom, Lilith and Loki, your powers have been removed, deactivated or otherwise powered down. But don t worry, that is the least of your problems. I informed them through a microphone. As I was saying I returned to Ms. Hand. I had the mansion set on fire and all the beggars were trapped like rats, shouting, and shrieking, falling upon each other in their desperation to escape. Just like these are doing now. I sneered watching as the zombies clawed at the doors in desperation. They sought help, but no human ear was left to listen to them. And then they burned. Just like these are about to. My Lady, if you will do the honour. I turned to Lilith.

My pleasure, My Lord, she purred and released the magic restraining the nuclear trigger beneath the screaming, cursing struggle zombies feet. The screen instantly went blank. When the fire finally abated, there was no trace of any living soul, or in this case zombie. I smiled down at the shocked Ms. Hand, then turned and walked out the door and into the night. And now my Avengers, Britain. We all stood on a headland (like two would-be conquerors of this island nation had stood there before) and looked out across the Channel towards Dover and England.

There is still the question of Harker s skull, protecting the land. Loki said. The Skull of Qunicy Harker an old now dead enemy of mine, imparted on the country where the it resided the same protection as that given to a normal home. For a vampire to be invited they must be first invited, individually.

Bah, such a contrivance is a pitiful attempt. Baron Blood has been in England for months, before this contagion began in preparation for my invasion. He and my own agents inside the various security forces of Britain have already invited the core of my army to enter and my new conscripts I have recruited have been also invited. So the Baron assures me. However the Britishers are, offcourse, expecting us. I turned Doom and Loki. Gentlemen, I wish you the best of luck. Lilith and I will launch the main attack from Fate s ship. My Lady, if you will transport us.

Passing through Lilith s glowing green portal we appeared on the deck of Captain Fate s ship holding orbit above the British Isles.

My Lord all is in readiness as you commanded. Said the piratical Captain Fate.

Excellent Captain, prepare to launch. I turned to Baron Blood who had returned from Britain to help co-ordinate the attack. Is all in readiness, Baron?

Yes Dracula. All is prepared. They do not realise the preparations you have made. They will be totally surprised when your army arrives. The Baron said.

And the Farm, it is still safe?

The Farm? Oh yes it is safe. The Baron licked his lips.

Excellent, you have done well. Maybe we can even save your Mother. I watched the Baron s face closely.

My Mother? Yes my Mother.

Good. I turned to Captain Fate. Launch canons to full magical power. Fire the conscript scouts at London, send my own personal guard to the predetermined coordinates. Let s give them a show shall we? Night falls on England. Lilith if you will activate the shield.

The Ship shuddered as the launch cannons began to fire vampires down towards the British Isles. As they entered British airspace the conscripts began to flare like fireworks.

The Skull. Its still protecting . Blood what has happened?! into the country protected by my old enemy, Quincy Harker s ensorcelled Skull. My Conscript army included recently turned Farm animals were being burnt to a crisp as they entered the now protected country. And there was no way of recalling them in time. I turned furiously to the Baron. What have you done!

My Lord! Fate said. All 500 are gone. And I have detected incoming at escape velocity.

On the monitor the zombie Captain Britain rose up towards them. TEPES! There is something I want to say to you.

What is it Merlinson? I said turning away from the Baron and staring at the monitor, my hand falling to my sword, The Ebony Blade once wielded by the Black Knight.

Just this ..Penny Drops. Captain Britain replied.

What does that mean. A code phrase. What does it mean?

It means, My Lord , The Baron said as with inhuman speed taped in the code words to activate a locator beacon which caused a glowing blue portal to appear. You ve been ha.. His sentenced was cut short as I cut his head from his body and he exploded into flames dead. So die all traitors!

EXCALIBUR! shouted Faiza Husein as she passed through the gate followed by the Baron s mother Spitfire, and the other British zombie heroes Dark Angel, Digitek, Tangerine, Death s Head, Union Jack, and the giant Killpower. They charged out of the glowing blue portal and .were immediately trapped as they entered the glowing green shield spell that Lilith had cast around Fate s ship and not the British Isles as the treacherous, and now ex-zombie Baron Blood had expected. The Blue portal flickered and died which told me that Doom and Loki had found and terminated Wisdom and whatever sorcerous zombie cohorts he had helping him. That left only Captain Britain.

He, due to his own magical powers gifted by Merlin, was able to penetrate the shield, also as expected. He landed on the deck and confronted me, just as Lilith exited the cabin where she had been waiting.

Evening Lilith, Dracula. Did you just loose an army? Britain said confidently. Oh, and thanks for the feed. We hadn t eaten for such a long time. I hope you didn t mind the Baron sharing your nosh in London. Just what the doctor ordered. Makes the head clearer too. Still a chap always likes desert and you Lilith look mighty tasty to me.

Captain Britain, I am glad you enjoyed it. I replied just as cheerfully. How is the wife? At the same time Lilith cast her spell. Britain s rotten grin disappeared.

My my wife? He stammered, finding it hard to fight Lilith s glowing green spell which began to bind him in its surprisingly gentle chains.

Yes, your wife. Megan isn t her name? I pushed. Sweet, trusting Megan. And speaking of tasty how did SHE taste?

Taste? Oh God, I No, I couldn t. NO! Oh God Megan. I I ATE HER! Captain Britain cried out in horror as t memory of what he had done came flooding back. Through the power of Lilith s spell, he was suddenly able to relive the moment when, after becoming himself infected, he had returned to his home. His lovely, trusting young wife, Megan had run to him as she always did, with love and joy at his return. She had not realise he was changed until he ..he .. Captain Britain screamed in soul wrenching horror as he relieved that horrible the shocked, dead eye of his beloved s half eaten face. He collapsed to his knees screaming.

Hmm, I must confess I am impressed, My Lady, I complemented Lilith. Even more effective than I could have hoped. But let us not forget our other guests. Let them too experience the joy of relieving their last moments with their loved ones.

As you command, My Lord, Lilith gave a throaty laugh and extended the spell to encompass all of the British zombie heroes. Soon all were screaming in horror as they relieved the slaughter that they had brought upon their sweet hearts, loved ones, family, male or female, adult or child. I smile, enjoying the music of their pain.

Doom, are you there? I pressed the comlink.

I am, My Lord, There was screaming in the background. Lilith s spell is quite interesting.

You had no problems?

None. Loki and I located and subdued both Mr Wisdom and the witches of the Faringdon Circle with ease. They are all reliving their past atrocities. As you surmised, once they had fed well on the London Farm they regained some degree of their humanity and Lilith s spell has multiplied that to an incapacitating degree.

Excellent. We will meet you at the Tower of London. Dracula out. I turned to the still screaming zombies on the deck. Captain Fate, if you will be so kind as to remove our guests bodies from their heads. Where they are going they will not need them. I do love it when a plan comes together.

The Tower of London

My Avengers and I stood before Traitors Gate and admired the new adornments. And the spell is now permanent? I confirmed.

Yes my Lord. Even If I was to leave this plain of existence the curse I have placed has cemented my spell. They will, to the end of time, be forever trapped in this cycle of reliving the horror they inflicted on their loved ones.

A fitting end of upstarts and fools. And a warning to the rest of our resolve. Doom said sternly . And a most delicious irony, Loki laughed. Ah how I do love seeing these primped up so-called heroes getting their just deserts. What a pity my accursed half-brother Thor is already dead. I would have loved to have seen his head screaming like these fools.

We all fell silent, each in his or her own way enjoying the symphony of horror and despair coming from the rotting, impaled heads of Britain s former heroes, each on a spike above the Tower s so-called Traitor s Gate. A fitting end I thought.

You know, My Lord, I had heard that when you lived you were a sadistic Monster. Loki said. I have to observe the reports did not do you justice.

Why thank you, Prince. I am glad you approve.

I turned away. The battle for Europe was now over. My power here was now secure. The conquest of the rest of the world, and the eradication of the rest of these vile zombies, could now begin.

Next Week: And the First Shall be Last. 


End file.
